MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME - Free Jazz Leadsheet

“My Old Kentucky Home” (also sometimes “My Old Kentucky Home, Good-Night!”) was composed by Stephen C. Foster in 1853. It began as a parlor song, yet over time it has been embraced by jazz performers and bandleaders for its lyrical simplicity and emotional depth.

The earliest commercially documented recordings date back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including a cornet duo around 1898 and vocal groups by the Peerless Quartet. Notable later jazz interpretations include versions by Louis Armstrong and Bunk Johnson, as well as a swing rendition by Gene Krupa. The song’s theme reflects a nostalgic longing for home and the complex social history of the antebellum South, and musically it typically follows a strophic structure with a singsong melody suitable for both vocal and instrumental treatment.